Former Texas linebacker Malik Jefferson would be a perfect fit for the Raiders. General manager Reggie McKenzie would be getting a top-tier prospect with near as high of a ceiling as any other player at his position in the 2018 NFL draft.

Middle linebacker NaVorro Bowman is 90 percent certain to return despite being a free agent, but Oakland needs a will linebacker that can slide into the middle linebacker role once the veteran linebacker reaches the end of the road. And that’s precisely the type of player that Jefferson is.

“Jefferson has a rare combination of size and athleticism, but he’s still learning how to maximize those physical tools. Once he unlocks that potential, the sky’s the limit,” Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling said in an interview with Raiders Wire Tuesday.

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Bowman is known for being willing to teach his brethren at the position just as former 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis did for him years ago. With that type of influence around him and given his outstanding tools, Jefferson could soak up some knowledge and slide into the middle linebacker position in a year or...